Racing game apparatus



fl?E l, 1953 A. G. ROSE ET AL RACING GAME APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed DEC. 4, 1948 s L d. ...www mam. man K mwa mA m v. o. NN MHUHHHH- 11| 1 r I `/H/ l|| N ll {1:} III H \|Il, ,|H ::Elllll/wl1|. WHW .INLW n L 4 u l: ,51--- //.,.Il mf .NJN

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 4, 1948 '|NvENToRs:

A G. ROSE,

K H. NIHOLLS. W

ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. l, 1953 UNITED STTES ENT UF'FCE AlfredGer-man Rose, Gainsborough, and Kenneth Howard Nicholls, Bromley, England Application December 4, 19485 Serial No. 63,572

Q'Claims. l

1 Thisv invention: relates to toy figures that are capable of unaidecl progression by a rocking motion. when placed on an inclined plane as described, for example, in United States Patent No. 2,601,739.

According to the invention, there is provided theA combination with a gure of the above kind of an inclined track provided with a controlling surface adapted to be engaged by a projection on a limb member of. said figure during rocking motion thereof so as to interfere with the free oscillation of the figure during progression, and means for varying the height of the controlling surface relatively to the track so as to vary the periodicity of the oscillation of said iig-ure. By these' means, therefore, the time taken for the figure to travel -along the track can be varied in accordance with the setting of the controlling surface.

A plurality of tracks',v each provided with a controlling surface and each accommodating a figure may be arranged as a single structure so as to constitute a racing game, and in such a case, the controlling surfaces may be connected toA a single varying means which may be arranged to vary the height of the individual surfaces by differing amounts.

'The controlling surface may be constituted by the surface of a rotatable shaft formed with one or more longitudinal ats or depressions the shaft running lengthwise of the track and arrangedl below the track, a longitudinal slot being formed in the Atrack for the passage of the projection on the figure. YThe flats may vary as to length and relative position so that at any setting of the shaft a surface varying in height along its length is` presented to the projection on the figure.' The shaft maybe provided at one end with a hand knob for turning purposes, and Where a plurality of tracks are used as described above, the shafts may be connected by gearing or bands of any desired ratio in which case one turning knob only would be required. The controlling surface or surfaces may be provided with a covering of rubber or like friction material. Alternatively, theA controlling surface may be molded from plaster or like material.

AInstead of the rotatable shaft described above, the controlling surface may take the form of a web running lengthwise of the track and formed with protuberances or depressions serving to vary the height of the surface relatively to thetrack, the vweb being movable longitudinally Vto yvary the positions of the protruberances or' depressions.

When used as a: racingl game,'it is-preferable that the surfaces `presented tothe projections on the figures should not be visible to the competitors, and for this. reason, the projections on the gures are preferablyv of a thin blade-like nature and the slots in the tracks are very narrow, theV surfaces being enclosed in the tracksupportingA structure. vWith such construction, the slots in the tracks may" serve also to guide the figures.

The projection may also be made variable in effective length so as to provide anadditional means for varying the periodicity of the oscillation of the figure.

When figures in the forml of horses and riders as described in the specification mentioned above are used in conjunction withv a plurality of tracks as described above, theinvention provides a particularly attractive and fascinating horse-racing game having very realistic effects.

The invention will new be described in greater detail with reference tothe accompanying drawings, as applied to such av game.

In the drawings:

Figures l, 2 and 3 are a sectional elevation, plan and sectionalend View, respectively, of a horse-racing game according to the invention,

` Figures 4 to 7 are sectional views illustrating` the shape of the controlling surfaces, and

Figures 8 and 9 are a sectional elevation and plan view, respectively, of the same game as shown in Figures 1 to 3 having a -modified form of controlling surfaces.

Referring to Figures l to 3, a series of toy horses Il, are arranged for' progression by a rocking'motiondown'an inclined track I 2 formed with a series of narrow slots I3 for the passage ofv blade-like projections 'I 4 on the horses I I.

The horses II are provided with a fixed limb member 4I on which the/fore klegs are formed and a freely mounted limb member 42 on which the hind legs are formed, the member 42 being pivoted at 43 in the bodyA portion ofthe horse II. When the figures are placed on the tracks I2, therefore, and given a slight rocking motiony they progress downI the trackA by rocking' alternately'on the limb members III and 42; the limb member 42 swingingforwardly as the ligure rocks forwardly on the limb member 4 I, whilev the limb member lll swings forwardly as the figure rocks rearwardly on the limb member 42.

` The track I2 is supported'on end frames I 5 and I'I in which is rotatably'mounted a series of rotatableshafts :I8f which :are lidentical inconstruction and ari'alngedone below-each slot "I3,

The shafts I8 are each formed with a series of flats I9 varying in length and position so that, whatever the circumferential position of the shaft I8, it presents a controlling surface to the adjacent projection I4 that varies in height along its length. The shafts I8 are provided with pulleys 2| of diierent diameters round which a rubber driving belt 22 is threaded in the manner shown in Figure 3, the belt 22 also passing over a driving pulley 23, rotatably mounted in the supporting frame I6 and an auxiliary bearing member 24, and also over a guiding pulley 2B. The driving pulley 23 is provided with a crank 21 for the purpose of rotating the four shafts IS simultaneously. Y

The construction of the shafts I8 is illustrated by Figures 4 to 7 which are sectional views taken at different positions along the length of a shaft, and will be seen that upon turning the crank 2, the shafts I8 will be rotated to different degrees and will each present a different surface to the projections I4 of the corresponding horse Il. During rocking motion of the horses il as they progress down the track l2, therefore, the projections I4 will engage the different surfaces presented by the shafts I8 which will thus interfere to varying degrees with the free oscillation of the horses II, and as each surface varies in height along its length, the periodicity of the oscillation is varied at different intervals along the length of the track. A slight turning of the crank 2l is sufficient to vary to different degrees the surfaces presented to the projections Hi of the horses II thus making it extremely difficult to predict which horse will reach the end of the track first. The horses II are started simultaneously by means of a spring-loaded starting lever 28 which is arranged to engage the rear limbs of the horses as illustrated in Figure l.

In Figures 8 and 9 the general construction ofv the track is the same as that shown in Figures l to 3, but the controlling surfaces in this case are formed on endless bands 3l arranged on supporting pulleys 32 and 33 rotatably mounted in the framework 34 supporting the track I2. The pulleys 33 are of different diameter and are formed on a common shaft provided with a crank 36 for the purpose of rotating the pulleys. The bands 3l are of molded rubber and are formed with protruberances 3l of different length spaced at different intervals along the length of the bands for the purpose of varying the height of the surfaces presented to the projections I4 of the horses E I. It will be seen that upon rotation of the crank 35 the bands 3| are moved lengthwise of the track to different degrees thereby altering the position of the protruberances 31 so as to vary the times at which they will engage the projections I4 for the purpose of varying the periodicity of the oscillation ofthe horses II.

We claim:

l. A toy of the kind in which a gure progresses unaided by rocking alternately on two limb members, said toy comprising an inclined track, a gure having a body portion formed with a iixed limb member and a freely mounted limb member pivotally attached to the body portion, the freely mounted limb member and the body portion swinging forwardly alternately as the ligure rocks on the track on the two limb members, a movable controlling surface disposed below and lengthwise of the track and formed with portions of different-height, a thin blade-like projection extending from one of the limb members, the track being formed with a very narrow slot for the passage of the projection through the track so as to allow the projection periodically to engage the controlling surface during rocking motion of the ligure and thus interfere with the free oscillation of the figure during progression, and a controlling member for moving said surface to bring portions of different height into operative position so that as the projection engages the portions of different height the periodicity of the oscillation of the figure is varied.

2. A toy as in claim 1, wherein the controlling surface is constituted by the surface of a rotatable shaft running lengthwise of the track.

3. A toy as in claim 2, wherein the portions of different height vary as to length and relative position so that at any setting of the shaft a surface varying in height along its length is presented to the projection.

4. A toy of the kind in which figures each progress unaided by rocking alternately on two limb members, comprising a plurality of inclined tracks, a plurality of figures, there being one of said gures for each of said tracks, controlling surfaces disposed below and lengthwise of said tracks respectively, a shaft mounting each controlling surface for rotation on an axis extending lengthwise with respect to its track, each of said figures having a body portion with a fixed limb member and a pivoted limb member, said pivoted limb member and the body portion swinging forwardly alternately as the figure rocks on the track on the two limb members, a thin blade-like projection extending from one of the limb members, each track having a narrow slot for the passage of said projection through the track Yso as to allow the projection periodically to engage the related controlling surface during rocking motion of the figure and thus interfere with the free oscillation of the figure during progression, each of said controlling surfaces embodying portions of different height which vary as to length and relative position so that at any setting of said shaft a surface is presented to said projection for the aforesaid purpose, and a common controlling member for moving the respective shafts of said controlling surfaces. l

5. A toy as in claim 4, comprising a common retaining member for holding the several gures against movement on the tracks, release of said progression of the gures on the tracks.

6. A toy of the kind in which a'rfigure pro-v gresses unaided by rocking alternately en two limb members, said toy comprising airinclinedv track, a figure having a body portion formed-l with a fixed limb member and a freely mounted limb member pivotally attached to the body portion, the freely mounted limb member andthe body portion swinging forwardly alternatelyas the figure rocks on the track on the two limb members, a movable controlling surface disposed below and lengthwise of the track and formed with portions of different height, the controlling surface being constituted' by a web running lengthwise of the track, athinblade-like projection extending from one'of the limb members, the track being formed with avery narrow slot for the passage of the projection through the track so as to allow the projection periodically to engage the controllingsurface during rocking motion of the gure and thus interfere with the free oscillation" of the figure during progression, and a controlling' member for moving said surface in the length- Wise direction of the track to vary the position 1 of the portions of different height so that the projection may be caused to engage those portions at different times to vary the periodicity of the oscillation of the figure.

7. A toy as in claim 6, wherein the web is in the form of an endless band, and pulleys which support the band.

8. A toy of the kind in which figures each progress unaided by rocking alternately on two limb members comprising a plurality of inclined tracks, a plurality of figures, there being one of said iigures for each of said tracks, movable controlling surfaces disposed below said tracks respectively, each controlling surface having portions of different height and constituted by a web running lengthwise of the related track, each of said gures having a body portion with a fixed limb member and a pivoted limb member, said pivoted limb member and the body portion swinging forwardly alternately as the gure rocks on the track on the two limb members, a thin blade-like projection extending from one of the limb members, each track having a narrow slot for the passage of said projection through the track so as to allow the projection periodically to engage the related controlling surface during rocking motion of the flgure and thus interfere with the free oscillation of the figure during progression, each of said controlling surfaces embodying portions of different height which vary as to length and relative position so that the projection may be caused to engage those portions at different times to vary the periodicity of the oscillation of the figure, and a common controlling member for moving said surfaces simultaneously.

9. A toy as in claim 8, wherein the common controlling member comprises a series of driving pulleys, one for each band, secured to a common controlling shaft, the driving pulleys being of diierent diameter.

ALFRED GERMAN ROSE. KENNETH HOWARD NICHOLLS.

References Cited in the ille of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 669,943 Leigh Mar. 12, 1901 750,545 Keen Jan. 26, 1904 918,343 Macculloch Apr. 13, 1909 1,342,577 Zion June 8, 1920 1,469,657 Magwood Oct. 2, 1923 1,768,174 Vasconcellos June 24, 1930 1,909,313 Perkins et al. May 16, 1933 2,365,522 Croggon Dec. 19, 1944 2,601,739 Nicholls July 1, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 14,453 Great Britain A. D. 1899 361,655 France July 31, 1906 832,934 France July 11, 1938 

